Chapter Text
September 26th - Discord Direct Messages
UlrichStern: Hey, Belpois, are you visiting that factory again?
JérémieBelpois: Yes…
UlrichStern: For fuck’s sake, Belpois, you have so much robot parts in your room and on your bunk bed, it’s a sunken ship in there!
JérémieBelpois: I just want to find something bigger and better…
UlrichStern: Such as?
JérémieBelpois: Look, if I find something, I will let you know…
UlrichStern: Okay…
___
October 9th
“New folder… New entry… New tab…” Jérémie murmured to himself as he typed out some notes on his keyboard.
He focused his gaze on the new entry of his journal.
He found something incredible in the factory, but he hasn't told anyone yet.
This journal goes through logs of his discovery.
Acting as his diary.
He found some sort of complex filled with large rooms beneath the factory, storing a giant advanced supercomputer.
He constantly took documentations of his findings, the supercomputer, the rooms and a strange entity living inside the computer.
An elf-girl entity he named Maya.
It had a name when Jérémie dug into it, Aelita, but Maya kept denying that was her name…
After he turned on that supercomputer, however, weird things started to happen.
From little things, like lights around him randomly flickering, and big things, like random electrical explosions. But he paid no mind to all of this.
Talking to Maya last night, he found out that she was not alone. Something else was with her, but he didn’t know what…
Before he could think much, someone entered the room.
“Ah, hey, Stern, what’s wrong?” Jérémie asked.
“I’m fine… just my new roommate being an obnoxious fuck…”
“Oh right, you are getting a new roommate…”
Stern nodded.
“His name is Odd Della Robbia… and he is already obnoxious…”
“How so?” Jérémie asked.
“He brought his dog into the room. Our room may be big and all, but there’s no way I can hide that dog safely…” Stern answered.
“He brought a dog? Have you reported it to the administrator? That’s a rule violation.”
“I did send Mr. Delmas a message along with the photo of the dog. Hopefully, it will all be sorted out…” Stern responded.
The brunette carefully moved some of Jérémie’s robot parts aside to sit on Jérémie’s bed.
“Anyway, what did you find in that factory?” Stern asked.
“I found some kind of strange complex underneath the factory. It's hard to believe, I know, but it was… big… with multiple rooms. It almost looks like the factory was a bunker for some kind of war…”
Stern narrowed his eyes.
“Interesting…”
“It has a strange supercomputer in the center of the room… It was strange…”
Jérémie stood up.
“I think it will be best if I show you, can you keep a secret?” Jérémie asked.
“Yes, but why are you keeping it a secret? If I were you I would have reported it straight to the authorities.”
Jérémie shook his head.
“There are some things in that computer that felt… personal to whoever built it…” Jérémie responded.
“Oh?”
“It’s like the creator of this supercomputer wanting to keep the project away from the authorities. Again, I think it’s best if I show you…”
“Alright.”
Stern stood up.
“Can I sleep in your room tonight? Della Robbia’s dog destroyed my section of the bunk bed…”
“Sure.”
“Can you move your parts aside then?”
“Oh right, I will.”
___
Jérémie carefully walks towards the factory again. It was empty, like what he remembers.
He stops at the edge, grabbing onto a rope to slide down. Stern simply stopped.
“What’s the matter? Scared of heights?”
Stern paced around.
“Uh… N-no…” He stammered.
The brunette grips onto the rope before sliding down to the bottom of the factory.
It was a very large drop…
Jérémie smiled as Stern made it to the bottom.
“Come on, there’s still something I need to show you…”
The brunette nodded, following behind Jérémie calmly to the elevator.
The elevator looked rusty from the outside, but it was still working.
Jérémie looked over to Stern as the elevator opened up, revealing the marvelous sight that he saw.
“Wow!!” Stern gasped in awe.
“See, what did I tell you? This place is amazing!” Jérémie responded.
Stern nodded.
“Damn, I could use this place sometimes…”
Jérémie nodded.
He approached the computer in the center, turning it on.
“Ah, hey Maya!” Jérémie excitedly greeted her.
“Jérémie! I have been waiting for you!” Maya responded.
Jérémie’s face turned into a soft pink, he was blushing.
Stern could only stare in confusion.
“So this is why you want to keep it a secret?” Stern asked.
Jérémie shook his head.
“Not exactly, there are a lot more reasons, let me show you.”
Jérémie shot a glance at Maya, the pink-haired elf nodded.
With Maya’s approval, Jérémie dug into the Supercomputer data. Revealing folders upon folders of the creation of the complex, the Supercomputer and its creator’s diary.
The Supercomputer was made by a man named Waldo Schaeffer. The complex itself was made as a safe bunker from something dark. But the man didn’t reveal any information about it.
He mentions a daughter, Aelita Schaeffer, the daughter he wanted to save from the cruelness of fate.
But Maya was adamant that she doesn’t want to be called by the name of a person that is now gone.
Stern could only stare, he understood Jérémie’s problem about keeping the Supercomputer and the complex a secret.
The files look important.
“So, what can we do in this place?” Stern asked.
“Aside from this complex bunker, there’s some sort of scanner room below the factory.” Jérémie explained.
“Scanner Room? What was that for?”
Jérémie shrugged.
“No idea, but we can check it out if you’d like.”
Stern nodded, Jérémie stood up from the chair.
The two boys stepped into the elevator and go down one more level
___
The elevator opens up to a bright amber-walled room.
In the center of the room stood three large chambers.
“This is the Scanner Room.” Jérémie said as he stepped into the room.
Stern looked up in awe.
“Are these scanners safe?”
Jérémie shrugged.
“Jérémie, can you hear me?” Maya asked.
“Maya?” Jérémie responded. “Y-yes, I can hear you.”
“Oh good, I… found a way to communicate with you without you being on the computer!”
Jérémie smiled.
“Great, do you remember anything about the Scanner Room?”
“Hmmm… my memories are still fuzzy, all I remember is that my father sent me to Lyoko through those same scanners.”
“So you can get trapped if you enter the scanners?” Stern asked.
“Mmm… not exactly, I am only trapped because someone shut the Supercomputer from within.”
“From within?” Jérémie asked.
“Most likely my father, he wanted to save me from… something. Otherwise, the scanners are safe!”
Jérémie hummed.
“Well, we could try it out tomorrow then, I want to come back to my room and get some games before I sleep.” Jérémie announced.
Stern chuckled.
“Didn’t know you are a bit of a gamer… What game, though?” Stern asked.
“Rain World.”
___
“Stern, you didn’t sleep in your room?” Jim asked.
Ulrich shook his head.
“My side of the bunk bed was ruined by Della Robbia’s dog.”
“His what?”
“I already sent in a report to Mr. Delmas who had handled this problem earlier, but see for yourself that I am not bullshitting.”
Jim paused before nodding.
“Very well, don’t sleep in too late.”
Ulrich nodded as he entered Jérémie’s room.
“You got Jim’s approval?” Jérémie asked.
“Yep.”
Jérémie nodded. Ulrich sat down on his current side of the bunk bed.
“You got the game you wanted?” Ulrich asked.
“Yeah, but I am keeping it for later, I need to change into my pajamas.”
The brunette hummed.
“I can sleep first then, good night.”
“Night.”
___
Jérémie and Ulrich leaned onto the wall of the alcove, drinks in their hands.
“So, you want to try the Scanner Room tonight?” Jérémie asked.
“Well, I don’t know… But it seems cool, so maybe…” Ulrich answered.
Jérémie nodded.
“Good…”
“Ulrich Stern!”
Ulrich looked up as someone called his name, it was Della Robbia.
He was furious.
“What the hell, Stern?”
Jérémie looked over in confusion.
“What do you mean?” Ulrich answered with a sly grin.
“Thanks to you, they know Kiwi is here. And now, I have to hide him from Jim and Mr. Delmas…”
Ulrich laughs.
“Sucks to be you, ain’t it?” Ulrich asked smugly.
“That’s not his fault, though, Della Robbia, you broke the rules and Ulrich simply followed it.” Jérémie added innocently.
Della Robbia snapped his attention to Jérémie.
“Oh yeah? You cared for the rules over the life of a dog, genius?”
Jérémie shrugged.
“The life of a dog is just as important as the life of a human being like you or me, but if you brought your dog here, it wasn’t our fault. It was your decision to risk his life.”
Jérémie crunched up the paper cup in his hand before tossing it in the trash.
Ulrich however, wasn’t set on his score with Della Robbia just yet.
“I could go for another drink, you boys have fun.” Jérémie said.
Della Robbia was speechless, humiliated and humbled.
“Oh, great…”
Ulrich smirked proudly as Jérémie headed for the vending machine.
“Now, do you have something else to say, skinny dweeb?” Ulrich asked.
“What? I am not skinny! I am svelte!”
Ulrich laughs.
“Oh really now, show off?”
Jérémie tried his best to pay no mind to the argument behind him. He inserted the coin on the vending machine.
But as he pressed the button to make his choice of drink, the vending machine shocks him.
“Jérémie?!”
Jérémie laid motionlessly next to the vending machine. Ulrich tosses his drink away before coming to Jérémie’s aid.
“Hey, Jérémie?! Are you okay?”
Ulrich sighed before looking up at Della Robbia.
“I will take him to the infirmary, you go tell a teacher.” Ulrich ordered.
“Oh, now you want my hel-”
“This is a critical situation, dumbshit, MOVE IT!”
Della Robbia paused, nodded in agreement.
___
“Nothing too serious, just some minor electrical shock and some superficial burns.”
Ulrich nodded.
“Thank you, Yolande.”
The nurse packed up her equipment, leaving Jérémie to Ulrich’s care.
“Ugh…”
“Ah, Jérémie, are you okay?”
Jérémie nodded.
“What the hell happened?” Jérémie grumbled.
Ulrich shrugged.
“The vending machine hates you, maybe.” He joked.
Jérémie laughed, he managed to get himself up.
“Funny if other electronic things didn’t hate me…”
Ulrich paused.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, truth be told, a few days ago, I got whacked on the head by my desk lamp… Another day, it was my computer shutting down on me unexpectedly… On yet another day, my smartphone’s battery got way too hot despite me not using it…, not to mention that lights randomly flicker around me, I could go on and on, but you get the point…” Jérémie explained.
He sighed.
“This happened after I turned that supercomputer on…” Jérémie added.
Ulrich flinched.
“The same supercomputer last night?” Ulrich asked.
Jérémie nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Ulrich asked. “You promised you would tell me.”
“You wouldn’t have believed me if I told you in the first place, would you?”
Ulrich silently nodded. He can’t argue with that.
Even after all the bullshit events of the world, a random supercomputer underneath a very old factory would be difficult to explain.
Jérémie stood up from the bed.
“Well, I will be going back to my room for a bit, wanna come?”
Ulrich shook his head.
“I have my martial arts class today, see you later.”
___
Ulrich arrived at Jérémie’s room. Before he even opened the door, he heard the boy screaming for help.
The brunette quickly pushed the door open.
Jérémie was in rough shape, he was attacked by a robot he built.
“Hold on, Jérémie!” Ulrich shouted.
He approached Jérémie, quickly yanking the robot off of the blonde boy.
He threw the robot towards the wall, destroying it.
Jérémie sighed in relief.
“What the hell happened now?” Ulrich asked.
“I have no idea, it just attacked me all of the sudden!” Jérémie responded.
Ulrich hissed.
“We need to investigate that supercomputer again, Maya might have the answer.”
Jérémie nodded.
“Come on, then, the sooner the better…” Jérémie said.
Ulrich couldn’t agree more. They quickly stepped out of Jérémie’s room and into the park, headed straight for their way to the factory.
On their way, however, they caught the attention of someone…
___
Jérémie’s eyes were focused on that.
“Hmmm, i can’t see the problem yet, but maybe it had something to do with the scanners.” Jérémie responded.
“How so?” Ulrich asked.
“There is some kind of disturbance inside of Lyoko, I could check it out, but it would be best if someone comes along…” Maya responded.
Ulrich nodded.
“Alright then, I will.”
Suddenly, the elevator opened up.
“So this is where you’re hiding, huh?”
“What the?” Ulrich asked.
Della Robbia walks into the lab, acting as if he was invited there.
With a white dog in his arms.
“What the fuck are you doing here?!” Ulrich hissed.
Della Robbia scoffed.
“Well, ain’t that obvious?” he asked.
He dropped the dog right on the floor.
“You didn’t tell me you have a secret hiding place, huh? How cute.”
Ulrich scoffed.
“What makes you think we invited YOU?!” He hissed.
“You could say that you have to because of what you did!”
Ulrich looked over to see the dog climbing over Jérémie’s seat. Directly to the boy’s lap.
“GET DOWN FROM JÉRÉMIE’S LAP, YOU DUMB BITCH!” Ulrich yelled.
The dog jumped in surprise before it leapt down from the Supercomputer’s chair.
“H-hey, be nice to my-”
Ulrich snapped his head.
“Be nice to your dog? Tell your dog to not destroy my DAMN ROOM next time, you fuckface!”
Della Robbia froze.
“But…”
Ulrich hissed before slapping the boy in the face.
“Ow!”
“Do you understand now why I reported your damn dog? If you tell your dog to FUCKING behave, then I will consider keeping him, but you chose to let him destroy my room AND my stuff…”
“Alright, enough of that!” Jérémie chimes in.
Ulrich and Della Robbia stopped, they turned to face Jérémie.
The boy scooped the dog in his arms.
“Ulrich, I understand your frustration but that is not very nice, and Della Robbia, as a dog owner, don’t expect people you didn’t know to bend over for your dog, you are responsible for your dog and its behavior and actions, while we are more than happy to keep it a secret for you if you have proven yourself that you are a capable owner, but don’t expect us to provide a space for a dog we don’t expect to have, our space is not yours.” Jérémie explained.
Ulrich lowered his head.
“Sorry Jérémie…”
Della Robbia simply nodded his head.
Jérémie looked down towards the dog.
“You can stay here, little doggy, just don’t mess around with my stuff, got it?”
He places the dog down, it barks before it walks towards a corner and lies down.
“See, that works! Anyway, Ulrich, you’re ready?”
Ulrich nodded.
“Alright, head down to the scanner room.”
He turned around and walked towards the elevator.
“W-wait, where are you going?” Della Robbia asked.
“None of your business…” Ulrich hissed.
Della Robbia narrowed his eyes.
“Hey, wait for me!”
Ulrich was about to argue, but he decided to let him.
The elevator arrived in the Scanner Room.
“Alright, head in.” Jérémie ordered.
“What are you doing?”
Ulrich stepped into one of the chambers.
“Going somewhere, I know you’re scared.”
Ulrich smirked as the chamber closed in on him.
“What?! Oh I'm going too!”
“Alright then, head in.”
Della Robbia stepped into one of the chambers.
___
Ulrich and Odd appeared in the sky.
They landed on a mysterious ground.
This world didn’t appear real…
“Ow…” Odd grunted.
Odd looked up to see a strange layout resembling a forest.
“How’s everything down there?” Jérémie asked.
It didn't take long for Jérémie to get an answer.
“Wow, this place is amazing…” Ulrich gasped in awe.
He looked around himself.
“Oh wow, this samurai outfit really rocks!”
He pulled out a katana from its sleeve.
“Oh, I am down to do this everyday!” Ulrich said excitedly.
Ulrich looked over to see Odd in a purple cat suit.
“Boy, I didn't know you’d look great in a fursuit.” Ulrich mocked.
Odd pouted as Ulrich chuckled
“Hey, that’s unfair, you have a weapon and I am just a giant ass purple cat with nothing to show!” Odd grumbled.
He swung his arm around. With a loud bleep, an arrow flew out of his paws.
“Whoa! Careful!”
Odd blinked in surprise.
“These arrows look pretty cool, I take back what I said.” Odd responded.
“Great, if i do this right, Maya should be waiting to your right.” Jérémie announced.
Ulrich looked over to his right to see a pink-haired elf waving her hand.
“There she is!” Ulrich pipes up.
Maya lets out a smile.
“Nice to meet you, Maya, I'm Ulrich.”
Maya nodded her head.
“Hey Ulrich.”
“Whoa, so… you’re Maya, right?” Odd asked.
Maya nodded.
“You… you look familiar…” Odd murmured.
Maya’s face turned into confusion.
“How so?”
“He's just looking for attention.” Ulrich scoffed.
“Hey!” Odd hissed.
“Alright, guys, cut that out, something is approaching you.” Jérémie warned.
Ulrich turned around as strange box-like creatures approached them.
“Eww, what are those things?” Ulrich asked.
He unsheathed his sword, ready to fight.
“Let’s get out of here.” Maya said in a panic. “They are dangerous.”
Ulrich and Odd nodded, taking a few steps back before running away behind Maya.
The box-like creatures began firing lasers straight towards them.
“Careful, don’t let it hit you!” Maya warned.
Ulrich hummed, a few lasers almost hit him on the shoulder, but he dodged it in time.
Suddenly, a few of the creatures appeared on their path…
“Oh no, we’re cornered.” Odd grunted.
Ulrich pulled out his sword, but before they could even take a step, a powerful beam shot out from the sky.
“What the hell?” Ulrich shouted.
The box-like creatures paused. Suddenly, they heard a loud roar.
It sends the creatures away in an instant.
Maya looked up as a shadow suddenly loomed over them.
With a loud earthquake, a large creature landed before them.
“Is that a… dragon?” Odd asked.
The dragon has a feline-like shape, with fur-covered and strangely layered feathered wings. With the marking of a hawk. It was more mammalian than a reptile.
It looked at Maya before gently bowing.
It leapt into the air and vanished between the looming trees.
“Wow…” Ulrich gasped in awe.
“Come on, the coast is clear now.”
The boys simply nodded.
___
“Alright, if this map is right, there should be some kind of tower right ahead of you.” Jérémie explained.
“Got it.”
Jérémie looked up as the dog suddenly barked.
“Hey, is everything okay?” Jérémie asked.
The dog kept on barking. Jérémie froze as a giant mesh of wires sprouted out of the floor.
“What the fuck?!” Jérémie cursed out.
“What happened, Jérémie?!”
Before he could respond, the wires quickly snatched him away.
“Jérémie?! Jérémie!!” Ulrich shouted.
“Oh dear, I think someone is cooked…” Odd grumbled, to Ulrich’s surprise, in fear.
“I think Jérémie is in deep trouble.” Maya explained.
“Can we even go back to save him?” Ulrich asked.
“I don’t-”
Before Maya could finish her sentence, three stray arrows flew straight towards Ulrich’s chest.
“Ulrich!” Maya shouted.
Before she could do anything, three more arrows flew towards Odd…
Ulrich hisses in pain as he appeared from the same chamber he entered.
“Ouch… my head…” Odd grumbled.
Ulrich stepped out of the scanners.
“Glad that we’re still alive…”
“You could say that, I felt like I was being tossed around in a washing machine.” Odd responded.
Ulrich managed to regain his composure, he still has someone to save…
___
The elevator pulled itself open at last, revealing Jérémie.
The boy was in rough shape.
“Jérémie! Hang in there!” Ulrich shouted.
Ulrich grabbed a piece of scrap metal from the floor.
With the scrap, he tried to chop off the wire abomination. But failed miserably as the electricity shocked him.
Before the monster could kill him, Odd managed to chop its head off.
“You know, I could always help…”
Ulrich sighed as the wire abomination crumbled. Releasing Jérémie from its grasp.
“Thanks, guys…” Jérémie said softly.
Odd smiled, extending his hand to help Jérémie up.
“Are you okay, Jérémie?” Ulrich asked.
Jérémie nodded.
“Are you hurt?”
“A bit, but I will manage.” Jérémie responded.
Ulrich smiled.
“Kiwi! Are you okay?”
Ulrich scoffed.
“Still thinking about your dog, huh? Be glad it didn’t die…”
Odd could only stare at Ulrich.
“Alright, calm down now, we should head back.” Jérémie responded.
The boys nodded.
___
October 12th - Kadic Discord Server
IsabelleDelacroix: Hey, @DellaRobbia, did you bring your dog to school? I got a news report from Mr. Delmas, who wanted us to announce it.
OddDellaRobbia: Uhhh, yes…
UlrichStern: Yeah, that dog destroyed my room.
AlexandrieFontaine: Jesus fucking CHRIST!
UlrichStern: I did report it though…
OddDellaRobbia: Hey! Now, I have to hide my dog.
IsabelleDelacroix: This is not Stern’s fault, Della Robbia. Bringing a pet to school was against the school’s policy to begin with.
___
Jérémie was busy analyzing what happened in the virtual world, a world he now knows as Lyoko.
He wanted to spend the night analyzing all about Lyoko, but Ulrich dragged him to bed.
The towers he saw were like a barrier between the worlds. It can be used as a bridge from Lyoko to Earth.
What it was for, however, remained unknown.
Maya did tell him that one of the towers they saw was red.
Jérémie looked up as the door creaked open.
“Hey, Jérémie, the cafeteria has opened up, do you want to get something to eat?” Odd asked.
Jérémie smiled.
“Sure, I will. One second…”
Jérémie stood up as he shut down his computer.
“Come on, or else I will eat your portion.” Odd joked.
Jérémie could only chuckle.
“Where’s Ulrich?”
“He told me he has a martial art class to do, which is weird since Jim is teaching sixth grade gym class today…”
Jérémie nodded.
“Alright then…”
___
Jérémie sat down on a table, Odd already gorging on his meal.
“Hey, Jérémie…”
Jérémie turned towards the source of the call.
“Ah, Ulrich!” Jérémie responded. “I thought you wouldn't be joining us for lunch.”
The brunette smiled.
“Eh, I just want to… Oh, can someone else join us?”
“Sure, why not?” Jérémie responded. “Who is it?”
Ulrich looked over as someone approached them.
Jérémie looked up to see a… tall, looming, muscular girl.
Yumi Ishiyama.
“Hello…” The woman said with a smile.
“Hey there, Ishiyama!” Jérémie greeted the girl.
Ishiyama chuckled.
“Oh no need with the formalities, you can call me Yumi!” Yumi responded.
Jérémie nodded.
“Hey, Ulrich, you love her, don't you?” Odd teased.
“Ummm… no?” Ulrich responded.
“Hmm…” Odd grinned, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
Ulrich couldn’t fool him.
He was in love with Yumi.
Jérémie could only chuckle.
“Come on, big guy, don’t deny your feelings…” Jérémie teased.
Ulrich scoffed.
“Alright, fine, yes I am…”
Yumi rolled her eyes before slapping Ulrich’s shoulder.
“I like it when you’re honest.” Yumi teased.
They all laughed.
___
“So, Einstein, what did you find in that supercomputer?” Odd asked.
“Odd, do you plan to call me that forever?” Jérémie asked.
Odd shrugged.
“I just thought that suits you…”
Jérémie rolled his eyes playfully.
“Anyways, I found something interesting…”
“And what is it?” Ulrich asked.
“It’s a program called the Return to the Past…”
“How would that work?” Odd asked.
“To put it simply, it can rewind time and erase the memories of anyone not scanned by the supercomputer.” Jérémie explained.
“What!?! Really?”
“Yes…”
Jérémie turned to face the Supercomputer.
“You see, the Supercomputer already had data for both of you here…”
Ulrich looked closer at the data Jérémie showed and he noticed something immediately.
“Wait! How come it already had your data on it? You haven't stepped into the scanners yet…”
Jérémie cringed.
“I had to scan myself so that I won’t lose any memories related to various incidents should the need arise…” Jérémie explained.
“Ah…” Odd exclaimed.
“Makes sense… We don’t want to have to remind you of the Supercomputer and what it could do again…” Ulrich added.
“Hey!” Jérémie shouted.
Ulrich and Odd could only laugh.
“Alright, I have to go now…”
“You have a date with Yumi now?” Odd asked.
Ulrich hissed.
“Yes…”
___
"Odd, can you keep the volume of whatever you're watching down?" Jérémie asked.
"Huh, why?"
"Dude, no one wants to listen to your loud TikTok doomscrolling." Ulrich snidely remarked.
"OK, fine!" Odd responded.
He did as he was asked and lowered the volume of his smartphone.
"Ah, there's Yumi!"
“Go on, Lover Boy, prove yourself!” Odd cheered.
Jérémie chuckled.
They turned to face Ulrich.
“Hey, Yumi!”
“There you are…” Yumi responded.
Both teens shook each other’s hands and embraced the other for a hug.
“So, do you have any plans?” Yumi asked.
Ulrich shrugged.
“None yet, but we’ll figure something out…”
“Well, well, well…”
Ulrich turned his head to face the source of the voice.
He could only roll his eyes.
“What do you want, Sissi?”
“Ugh, you got yourself a girlfriend without telling me?” Sissi hissed.
“Why would I need YOUR permission? We might be friends for years but I don't need people to monitor my love life.”
“You know, I just-”
Suddenly, they heard an explosion coming from the building.
“What the fuck was that?” Ulrich cursed out loud.
Ulrich turned to face Jérémie and Odd.
“Let’s go check it out…” Jérémie said.
Ulrich and Yumi nodded.
Sissi paused before following behind them.
They walked into a classroom… everything in sight looks like something blows it up to smitherines…
“Holy fuck! What the hell happened here…” Jérémie murmured.
Jérémie narrowed his eyes as he noticed the electric socket on the wall letting out smoke.
“Is this normal?” Yumi asked.
“No, it isn’t!” Jérémie answered.
They stepped out of the room, to catch their breath.
The room smelled like burning materials…
“Either way, we have to find out what’s going on…” Jérémie added.
“Well, I could help…” Sissi said smugly.
Jérémie narrowed his eyes.
“No, I don't think so.” Ulrich responded before Jérémie could.
“Huh? Why not, I am-”
Suddenly, they heard a loud electrical crackle. Before anyone could react, something zapped Sissi from behind.
“What the? Sissi!”
They looked up to see a giant electric ball forming…
“RUN!” Jérémie shouted.
The teens immediately turned on their heels and ran away as fast as they could.
“Where should we go?” Yumi asked.
“Somewhere… safe, follow us!” Ulrich responded.
After a half-hour, the Lyoko-warriors arrived at the factory.
Yumi is flabbergasted. She can’t believe what she sees.
“What is this place?” Yumi asked.
“An abandoned factory that happens to house a supercomputer within its walls…” Jérémie answered.
“What is the correlation between this and that giant electric… thing?” Yumi asked.
Ulrich grabbed Yumi’s arm.
“I think it’s best to show, not tell…” Ulrich responded. “Come on!”
Yumi paused before nodding.
“Alright, now head down to the Scanner Room…” Jérémie said as he sat down on the Supercomputer’s chair.
“On it, Einstein!”
___
Yumi, Ulrich and Odd were dropped into a strange snowy sector of Lyoko.
“Ow… what the-”
“Are you doing okay, Yumi?” Ulrich asked.
“I could get used to it more…” Yumi responded.
“Wow, that Japanese outfit looks fire.” Odd commented.
Yumi paused, she took a look at her outfit.
“Is everyone okay down there?” Jérémie asked.
“Now where are we?” Yumi asked.
“This is Lyoko…” Jérémie responded. “Now, Maya is waiting in your 2 o’clock position…”
“Alright, Captain… Let’s move!” Odd responded.
Ulrich shoots a quick smile towards Yumi before running towards the direction pointed by Jérémie.
Yumi paused for a moment before following them.
“I see her!” Odd pipes up.
“Maya!” Ulrich called out.
Maya turned around.
“What happened?” Ulrich asked.
“A bunch of monsters started to guard the red tower. I sense danger inside that tower, we need to handle them…”
“On it!”
“Hold on, I don't have any weapons to fight…” Yumi pipes up.
But the boys were already standing their ground. Three crab-like monsters turned their attention towards the incoming teenagers.
Yumi looked around her outfit. She could see something coming out of her obi.
“A fan?”
“Try throwing it, you’d never know!” Odd responded.
Yumi took a moment before throwing the fan with all her strength. The fan hit one of the three crab-like monsters. The fan flew off into another monster, destroying it.
“Wow, neat! I think I will keep it!”
Yumi remained focused as she threw her fan on another monster.
“The path is now open, go Maya!” Ulrich ordered.
Maya nodded.
Ulrich stayed on Maya’s side as she booked it towards the red tower.
“Oh shit, we’re being cornered!” Ulrich cursed.
Odd turns around, shooting a laser towards the monster blocking the path.
But more monsters kept on coming, as if they were trying to stop Maya from getting into the tower.
As the monsters started to charge their lasers, Maya dropped to her knees and started to hum a melody.
Suddenly, a wall of ice began to form in front of them…
“Wow… you did that?” Ulrich asked.
“Yes, I did!” Maya answered.
Their celebration was cut short, they still need to take care of the red tower…
“H-hey, I hate to sour the mood but, you guys need to hurry up, the electric ball is coming for me!” Jérémie announced.
“We’re doing our best, Jérémie.” Odd responded. Shooting an arrow towards a cube-like monster.
“Lock in, Maya, let’s go.” Ulrich said.
Maya nodded, running straight for the tower.
Odd tried his best to remain focused, but an arrow to his back devirtualizes him.
“Odd!” Ulrich shouted.
Before Ulrich could do anything, a laser beam shot him from the back.
“Oh no…” Maya mumbled.
“Go, Maya!” Yumi shouted.
Maya nodded, finishing up her trek to the tower.
“Jérémie, hang in there, Maya is entering the red tower!”
Yumi sighed in relief as Maya finally entered the red tower…
___
“Jérémie!” Ulrich shouted.
The boy was still alive… but he was barely holding on and barely conscious.
Jérémie tried to stand up.
“Hey, Einstein, calm down.” Odd responded.
“No, Odd, I need to… try out something…”
Jérémie began to type.
“What is it?”
“Something to save me…”
Jérémie took a deep breath.
“Return to the Past, now!”
___
Ulrich opened his eyes, he was back to when Jérémie was zapped by the vending machine…
“What the? We’re back here?” Odd asked.
Jérémie blinked in surprise.
“The program works…” He mumbled.
Ulrich turned around to see Yumi.
“Yumi!”
The Japanese girl smiled as she approached the boy.
“Jérémie, you really are a genius!” Odd exclaimed.
Jérémie smiled.
“Glad that you all still remembered!”
Odd turned to face Ulrich.
“Hey, Ulrich…”
“Yeah?”
“I’m… I'm sorry for how I acted earlier… I was wrong to think you would accept Kiwi without consulting you…”
Ulrich paused, he smiled. The brunette could only nod.
“Look, we can’t change the past and the administrators are aware of your dog, because you have proven yourself, we can take Kiwi to the lab, give it a home as well as to be a guard to our factory.”
Odd nodded.
“Come on then, we could give Kiwi some treats, I also need to talk to Maya…”
Ulrich, Odd and Yumi nodded, following behind Jérémie.
___
“So, Maya, your real name is Aelita…” Yumi said.
Maya shook her head.
“Maybe… Maybe not…” Maya cryptically answered. “I just… don’t like the name Aelita…”
“Hmm… there is a mystery there…” Odd piped up.
“So, what have you two found?” Ulrich asked Jérémie and Maya.
“We found the culprit of those attacks: XANA!” Jérémie answered.
“XANA?” Ulrich, Odd and Yumi asked at the same time.
“Yes, XANA. It’s a super dangerous AI which can control electricity, and it activates towers on Lyoko to gain access to Earth.” Maya explained.
“So, the red tower, the electricity monster, the weird symbol, the monsters on Lyoko, all of that was XANA?” Yumi asked in disbelief.
Maya nodded.
“Yes. Only I can counter it by deactivating the tower that it uses for attacks on Earth…”
“So, our fight will remain…” Yumi mumbled.
“Don’t worry, Yumi, we’ll always stay together.” Jérémie responded.
Yumi managed a smile.
“I always wanted an excuse to hang out with someone I could call friends, but this is interesting…”
“I can’t argue with that.” Ulrich responded.
“Well, whatever we do, we’ll stay together, for you, for us, and for Maya.” Jérémie added.
___
Meanwhile, somewhere on Earth… On a base hidden from prying eyes.
Sitting in front of a computer, a woman with brown hair received a strange signal she picked up…
“Ma’am, come look, I found a strange signal…”
A woman wearing a long cloak and dark-tinted glasses turned around, raising up her guard.
“Is it from the Green Phoenix or the Men in Black?” She asked.
“No… and it’s very strange, look…”
The cloaked woman obliged and leaned closer.
“You’re right…”
“Analyzing the source, it seems like it came from a strange… virtual world…”
“A virtual world?” A man echoed.
“This virtual world didn’t come from the Green Phoenix. It doesn’t come from the Men in Black’s prototypes either…”
“So we’re still safe from the Green Phoenix and the Men in Black… Good!” The cloaked woman responded.
“But, whose virtual world was it?” The man asked.
“I have no idea…”
The cloaked woman paused in thought.
“Our only option is to make our own…” She responded.
The brown-haired woman paused.
“But, Ma’am, it will take a lot of time and resources…”
“Do it, Taunie! We’re safe… So, this is our only chance… Charles will help you if you need anything…”
“Yes, Ma’am…”
The cloaked woman took off her glasses, revealing a pair of brown eyes.
“Thank you, Taunie…”